1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a layout technique to factory design and facility arrangement in various manufacturing plants.
2. Discussion of Background
Most of conventional factory buildings have been formed in a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the outermost rectangular line represents the contour of a factory building 1, where many and small rectangular lines represent facilities 2 installed in the factory building 1.
In manufacturing plants which use facilities in a one-way manufacturing flow, it is enough to provide the facilities along the moving line. However, in manufacturing plants where the manufacture is complicated and facilities are repetitively used (such as semiconductor device manufacturing plants), the moving line of articles is complicated, and the articles are, in some cases, required to be inconveniently conveyed from one end to the other end in the plants even when a single process is completed.
In addition, there have been problems that there is no partition for air conditioning even when combustible gas or toxic gas is treated, that limitations on an escape route for ensuring an escape area require to make factory buildings in an elongated rectangular shape, and that the elongated rectangular shape deteriorates the moving line and provides restrictions on model change in articles to be manufactured or enlargement of the factories. In order to solve these problems, a sophisticated FA (Factory Automation) conveyance system has been required.
JP-A-3241176 entitled xe2x80x9cBuilding Layout Structure For Semiconductor Device Manufacturing Plantsxe2x80x9d has proposed a building structure in a circular or polygonal shape. This application has proposed that an FA region be provided in a central position.
It is an object of the present invention to solve these problems, and to provide an arrangement capable of enhancing safety and making the moving line of articles to be manufactured effective with the enlargement of a factory taken into account, which have been not considered.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a factory layout comprising a plurality of substantially triangular units provided in radial directions, the triangular units being combined so as to form a polygonal shape including a triangular shape as a whole in plan; and empty regions with an air-conditioning facility provided at a part of a central portion of the triangular shape.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, another empty region with an air-conditioning facility is provided in an expanded region outside an outer contour of the polygonal shape.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the respective triangular units are provided with partitions for air-conditioning.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, adjacent triangular units include facilities having a higher frequency in movement of products to be fabricated between the adjacent triangular units than the movement of the products between the adjacent triangular units and other triangular units.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, facilities are provided in the order of higher frequencies of use per time unit from a position close to the central portion or to a shared conveyance passage.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a factory building having a similar shape can be added for expansion. At least one triangular unit of the added factory building has a contour closely provided or coupled with a contour of a given triangular unit in the original factory building. The facilities of the at least one triangular unit are shared more with the facilities of the given triangular unit of the original factory building than other triangular units of the original factory building.